


The First Steps

by Disneybrony, StormScavenger



Series: Shades of Light [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Force-Sensitive Finn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-27
Updated: 2016-06-04
Packaged: 2018-05-29 09:58:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6370357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Disneybrony/pseuds/Disneybrony, https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormScavenger/pseuds/StormScavenger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>What happened before Hope was lost? Hope was ignited.</i><br/>The aftermath of Starkiller Base has left the Resistance with newfound hope.<br/>But happiness will come at a cost...</p><p>Rey, and now Finn, despite their fears of the future, must both learn to embrace the Force as they discover more and more about themselves each day. Thankfully, the idea of <i>Hope</i> is what makes the fight all the more worth it.</p><p> </p><p> <b>Prequel to Dawn of Hope</b></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MarvelSpacePrincess](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarvelSpacePrincess/gifts), [fictionfrek101](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fictionfrek101/gifts), [anthonytheboy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/anthonytheboy/gifts), [Disneybrony](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Disneybrony/gifts).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Three weeks after the destruction of Starkiller_

_The same scene replayed in his head. Every day, and every night since he'd awoken from his coma two weeks ago. In the dream, he finds himself staring at the ruins of the Resistance Base from behind his stormtrooper helmet. As he stares through the helmet he finds a blaster pistol in one hand, and lightsaber hilt in the other. When he looks in front of him, he sees Rey standing amongst the flames and ash around them. Tears glisten on her cheeks as she opens her mouth to tell him, "I'm so sorry, Finn... I-"_

\-- _and every time, he wakes up._

"So, you ready for the mission tomorrow?" Poe said, but no reply followed. "Finn? You alright, pal?" Suddenly, Finn snaps out of his day dream. He looks around and sees Poe and other pilots sitting around him in the mess hall of the Resistance Base. He looks down at the table and sees his platter full of bland oatmeal and a cup of water. He hears the noise of the mess hall. Finally, he shrugs his shoulders and sighs.

"Yeah...I'm fine, sorry. Just thinking about something." He said as he pokes his spoon at his oatmeal. 

It had been a long two weeks. Lately, he'd been focusing on regaining his strength, and trying to take his mind off of Rey's well-being. He was sure she was safe, she was off somewhere training to become a Jedi by Skywalker himself. If anything, she was probably safer than he was, but he tried not to think about it too often. She was safe, and that was all that mattered.

As the other Resistance pilots at the table returned to their chattering, Poe put a hand on Finn's shoulder and spoke softly.  
"Listen, Finn, are you sure you're okay? I mean, I know you're worried about Rey, but she's fine, I promise. If something's really bothering you, don't be afraid to talk to me about it, alright?"

Finn turned his head to face him. His face softened as he spoke.  
"I know, Poe. Is the General around?" Poe smiled and cocked his head towards the entrance of the mess hall, where General Leia had just appeared, speaking to a Resistance cadet. 

"Thanks." And with that, Finn sprang from the bench and made his way towards the entrance, leaving his tray full of food at the table. A tray which Poe promptly decided to help himself to. 

He approached the General, suddenly unafraid of interrupting whatever conversation she was having with the cadet.  
"Excuse me, General, may I speak with you for a moment please?" He asked.

"Oh- good evening, Finn." She looked at Finn, and then back at the cadet in front of her before continuing. "Finn, this is Kyle. He's a cadet here and I was wondering if you'd like to help him get ready for the scouting mission tomorrow. It will be his first official deployment."

Finn looked at the cadet. He looked young, around the age of 18 or 19. He had blonde hair, green eyes, and a mole on his lower left cheek. Finn found himself staring at the cadet a little longer than normal, but he couldn't help it. Something was different about this cadet, and Finn's heart dropped as he felt a strange combination of emotions form on his face. The cadet's appearance reminded him much of-

"Finn?" General Leia's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Did you hear what I said?" He quickly composed himself and looked at the General. 

"Um, yes ma'am. I'll make sure nothing happens to him. He'll be safe with me." He faked a confident grin before remembering why he came to her in the first place.  
"Actually, General, there was something I needed to talk with you about. It's about the, uh...dreams." General Leia's face changed from her usual neutral expression, to a concerned and worried look. Truly, she was the closest thing to a mother he'd ever had. 

"I see..." She then looked the cadet. "Cadet Kyle, I'll speak with you later. Finn will give you your briefing. Until then, get some food. You deserve it." 

Kyle saluted and walked away, taking Finn's spot on the bench with Poe and the other pilots. Leia lead Finn out of the mess hall and into her office. She closed the door before sitting at her desk and gesturing for Finn to take a seat as well. Leia felt Finn's internal distress through the Force. Ever since he'd woken from his coma, he'd told her about his recurring nightmares. Each nightmare had something to do with the First Order rising and the destruction of the Resistance, and those he loved. 

Leia had told him that while he was in his coma, he would often have to be restrained and given a sedative. As he slept in the medbay, Dr. Kalonia would report of him having sudden outbursts. He would thrash and scream in his sleep, and the medical equipment around him would appear to shake and rumble. This had led General Leia to believe that there was more to Finn than any of them had expected. 

"So..." The General began, "what was **this** dream about? Anything different or was it the same as the others?" She asked, hands clasped on the desk. Although Finn normally hated reliving the nightmares, the only time he felt the strength to talk about them was with the General. 

"It was the same...I feel like it's getting worse though. I'm seeing it more often than usual. First it was certain nights, then it was every night, and now I'm seeing it during the day as well. I don't know what to do." He admitted, looking down at his lap. 

"I see. And...the person you're seeing in the dream. Still Rey, or someone else?" 

He frowned and closed his eyes.  
"Still Rey...She keeps apologizing about something. She looks scared. I can't tell if she's injured or not, but she definitely looks afraid. Afraid of me." He said, but this time he felt his voice chip towards the end of his sentence. 

"Is there anyone else in the dream this time? Anyone besides you and Rey?" 

"No, ma'am. Just us, I think...I can't really tell. It's so short, but it's the same sequence. I find myself in a stormtrooper suit, and I'm looking at her. She apologizes, and I wake up. That's it. Nothing else." His jaw clenches. He's hiding something from her, hoping that she doesn't press any more questions, but he knows she will.

"And why do you think she's afraid of you? Are you threatening her in any way? She wouldn't be afraid of you if you weren't holding some sort of weapons, right?"

"..ma'am...I..." He starts, but she doesn't let him finish.

"I know, Finn. We've been over this before, and I understand. You're holding a lightsaber in the dream. This is why I believe you may have a connection to the Force as well. And the voices you heard back on Takodana?" She was referencing the screams Finn heard of the New Republic when it was destroyed by Starkiller base. 

Finn dropped his head in exasperation and cupped his face.  
"I don't want to talk about the voices, General. There were hundreds of them, millions of people in my head for those brief seconds. So many people died, and I heard all of it. **Felt** all of it...I don't ever want to experience that again, which is why I don't want to become a Jedi. I just want to help the Resistance, and if that means sticking with blasters, than that's all I need right now." 

General Leia was disappointed to hear this from Finn, but she figured time would help. If the Force was truly with him, he would learn to embrace it, not fear it. The galaxy needed more Jedi like Luke and Rey, and the next most eligible she saw was Finn. She looked down at her desk drawer for a moment, and opened it before speaking again.

"I respect your choice, Finn, but I want you to know that right now, the galaxy needs the Jedi. Desperately. And right now, I think you've earned this." She reached into the drawer and pulled out a lightsaber hilt. "Take this. You'll find better use for it than I will." 

His eyes widened for a moment as he gazed at the silver object in Leia's hand. She continued.  
"Luke made this for me years ago in case I'd ever decided to become a Jedi. I never really felt like it suited me, but you, Finn. You deserve this. Take it. I think you'll be better off with it than I would."

He looked at Leia and the hilt before reluctantly accepting it.  
"General....are you sure I'm ready for this deployment?" he asked.

Leia's face soften and she smiled tenderly towards him as she nodded her head.  
"You'll be fine, Finn. Just trust in the Force, and everything will be alright..." She took his hand looked into his eyes. As she did so, she felt something else in him. "...and you'll see Rey again." His heart skipped a beat as she said this. She really did feel something in him. 

There was a sudden knock on the door, prompting Leia to let go of Finn's hand and answer it. It was Poe letting her know that he'd gone ahead and briefed Kyle on the mission so that Finn didn't have to. After Poe'd walked away, Finn placed the lightsaber hilt gently in the pocket of his new jacket before getting up to go to his bunk for the night. He said good night to the General and made his way down the hall, when she beckoned to him from her office one last time.

"Hey, Finn. You'd told me that you'd scored 35 out of 36 shots in one of your training simulations, is that correct?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am. What about it?" he asked from down the hall.

"Well, other Resistance fighters have seen you in action, and they've seen you train. Some of the things they tell me just don't seem possible for just some ordinary stormtrooper. And not just any old stormtrooper could have that type of aim in both simulations and real firefights. How do you think that's possible?" she winked at him.

He felt himself grin at her as he continued down the hall. Perhaps she was right. There was no way he made those shots just out of luck. The Force was indeed with him. Now it was up to him whether or not he would accept it...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! First chapter of Star Wars: The First Steps is finally here! Thanks for reading, more updates coming soon.   
> Also, to clarify, this story is a prequel to Star Wars: Dawn of Hope
> 
> **more coming soon**


	2. His Name Was Slip

That night, Finn sat alone in his dorm. He laid down on his bed in the dark, hands locked underneath his head, troubled. He was tired, but he couldn't bring himself to fall asleep. So many things were plaguing his mind, that relaxing would be a feat to accomplish. All he could think about was Rey's safety, and-

Suddenly, a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. He wanted to be frustrated that someone was waking him up this late, but then he'd remembered that he hadn't slept at all. A few more knocks triggered him to roll out of bed and trudge to the door, opening it to a familiar face. He didn't immediately recognize the face, as the bright lights from the dorm hallway heavily contrasted with the darkness of his room. When he could finally stop squinting from the light, he could make out the figure at the door smiling.

"Kyle?" Finn spoke. "What're you doing here? Didn't Poe already brief you?" 

The young cadet spoke with youthful nerves."Hello, sir, I uh-" 

Finn sighed, "Just call me Finn. What do you need?" 

Kyle looked confused for a moment, but accepted his invitation. "Okay...Finn. Can I come in?"

Finn rolled his eyes before reluctantly stepping aside and letting the door swing fully open. He couldn't be too upset at Kyle, however. It's not like Kyle was the one keeping him awake in the first place. Finn and Kyle both took a seat on the edge of the bed. There wasn't much in Finn's room besides his bed by the window, and a small closet on the right hand side of the room against the wall. As they sat, Finn spoke up.

"Alright, so what's going on?" 

Kyle looked down at his boots before replying, "Well, earlier, commander Dameron and I were talking and...well...I'm not sure if I should be asking this, but..."

Finn's brows furrowed.  
"Who's Rey? He said you're waiting for her to return instead of Luke Skywalker. Why?" 

Suddenly, Finn felt his shoulders slump. He wasn't quite sure what to say to the young cadet sitting next to him. He'd spent so much time thinking about Rey returning, that he'd never really spent much time even considering Luke Skywalker - THE Luke Skywalker himself, returning with her. But he couldn't help it. 

Rey was his reason for fighting. She was the only person who'd ever really cared for him. It was nearly impossible for him to think about anything else, or _anyone_ else. Finally, he decided to answer Kyle's question.

"Rey is...she's...she's uh...very important to me...and I just want her to be safe." He looked over at Kyle and saw that one of his eyebrows was raised. Clearly, he knew that Finn was holding something back.

"...How important is she? If you don't mind me asking, of course." The tension in the room rose...

"I...Look I don't really want to talk about it right now, I'm sorry. It's just...she's..." Finn found himself staring at Kyle again. Taking in the familiar features of his face. A face he knew he'd seen before. Kyle himself noticed this, and raised his eyebrow again. 

"What is it? Is there something on my face?" Kyle began brushing his mouth, and his finger landed on his mole for a fraction of a second. Finn's eyes widened as he spoke softly.

"It's just...you look so much like him." 

Kyle sat up straight, puzzled and confused at Finn's words.  
"Wait, what?"

"Huh?" Finn, realizing that he'd said that outloud, covered his mouth before attempting to change the subject.  
"Oh, sorry. I- it's nothing, really. I just- you just. Sorry. Just, thinking about something..."

"Finn." Kyle's face softened for a moment. "Who do I look like?" 

Finn breathed a heavy sigh as gaze dropped to the floor. He sat in silence for a moment, not wanting to further engage in Kyle's question. That is, until he felt his hand on his shoulder.  
"Finn..."

"His name was Slip...Back when I was a stormtrooper, I called him Slip. Happy?" Finn's words came out a tad harsher than intended, but Kyle understood.

"Okay...so what was he like? Were you guys friends or-"

"Friends?...He was the closest thing I had to a brother. I was the only one who cared about him. The others? They hated him. Everyone did...except for me...We were both outcasts..." Finn felt a small lump forming in his throat, but he tried to ignore it as he continued. "He...he was the only one who ever truly accepted me...until..."

"Until Rey?" Kyle asked.

"Yeah...until Rey..."

"What...what happened to him?"

Finn felt his heart sink as he was forced to relive the harsh memory.  
"...He was killed. Shot right in front of me. I remember it like it was yesterday. Our last moment together. There was nothing I could do. As soon as I saw him fall...I knew...we both knew it was too late...so he died, right there in my arms. Without a family, without a name, and without a purpose. And no one would ever know, or care."

"Except for you..."

Finn's jaw clenched. "...except for me..."

"Is that why you're worried about um...Rey, is it?"

"...yeah...but she's a tough girl. She can handle herself. And she's not the only one I'll try to protect if I can help it." He said as he clapped Kyle on the shoulder. The two comrades spoke for a few more minutes, and Finn shared more memories of Slip and Rey with him. Finally, after some time, both Finn and Kyle felt themselves getting sleepy. They bade each other goodnight, and Finn settled himself onto his bed, and Kyle began to leave the room.

As Kyle reached the doorway, he stopped for a moment, and turned back to look at Finn. They both looked at each other for a moment. The light from the hallway illuminating Kyle's face. Finally, Kyle spoke up,  
"So...Slip, huh. That sounds like a nice nickname." He said with a wink.

Finn couldn't help but grin, "Yeah...yeah, it does." 

"Yep. Well, anyways, goodnight, Finn." And with a quick smile, Kyle disappeared down the hall, and darkness soon engulfed the dorm room once more.

Finn waited a few moments in the silence of the night, and just before falling into sleep's embrace, whispered softly,  
"Goodnight, Slip."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, thanks for reading ^_^  
> Sorry for the shorter chapter, but things will pick up soon, I promise :D 
> 
>  
> 
> **Find out what Rey's been up to in the next update!**


	3. Return

_Rey finds herself standing in hilly, grassy plains of a mysterious planet. The plains are a great, open field, and the wind flows through her hair as a feeling of relaxation overtakes her. In the distance, she sees a blonde haired man sitting in the grass across from a redheaded woman. They are both wearing what appears to be Jedi attire. Without getting their attention, she discreetly moves closer for a better look, and sees that the redheaded woman is pregnant. Just before the dream ends, the man looks at her, shock covers his face as tells her, "You're alive?..."_

And then, she wakes.

She had been on Ach-To with Luke for roughly two and a half weeks. It'd taken great efforts to convince Luke to train her, which he'd eventually and reluctantly agreed to do so. He was a good man, caring for her, but would sometimes appear to be trying to distance himself from her, as if he'd somehow knew who she was. But whenever she'd try to convince him to let her in, he'd push her away, as if out of guilt. Regardless, she'd always felt some sort of connection between them, one which she just couldn't ignore. 

Luke had been teaching her the ways of the Force through meditation and fighting styles. Everyday she'd spent around him, she felt more and more connected to him. But he was hiding something from her, she just knew it. That's why on certain nights, she would try to sneak her way into his mind and see what he dreamed about. Normally she wouldn't be able to concentrate hard enough to do it, but for some reason, this time, she felt something. Perhaps spending too much time around the old man was having an effect on her mind. 

Either way, that morning, she sat in the grass of Ach-To, by the water, took a small bite of her cooked fish, and looked out onto the ocean below. As she ate, she couldn't take her mind off of the dream. She struggled to think of anything else. Perhaps it wouldn't matter. At any moment, Luke would wake up, exit his small hut by the cliff side, greet her warmly, and begin her training for the day. But that didn't happen, not this time. 

Something different happened this time. She quickly stood up out of respect as she heard Luke exit his hut, and expected to hear his usual, kindhearted "good morning, Rey" But this time, he said nothing. Instead, he only looked at her, almost as teary-eyed as when she'd first found him on the island. He stared at her as if she'd come back from the dead, or perhaps, to him, she just had.

"Master Luke?" Rey began, "Are you okay?" 

Luke felt a lump in his throat as he tried to speak. "Why were you in my dream?" Rey's eyes widened at his question. 

She was suddenly unable to move. She looked down at the grass in from of Luke, unable to meet his soft, but troubled gaze. She felt a sense of guilt at her mental intrusion of the old man. She realized now that by prying into his mind, she may have actually caused him pain. Whatever she'd done, she felt horrible, and unclean.

"I...I'm sorry, Master Luke. I just...I felt something." 

Luke slowly approached her. Though he had every right to be, he wasn't mad at her. He instead felt some sympathy for the young woman. He softly lifted her chin to face him. His kind gaze lowered the tension.  
"It's...it's alright, Rey. What did you feel?"

"It's just...Ever since I've come here, I've felt a connection between us. I feel like I've known you before...But whenever I tried to ask you pushed me away!" Her words suddenly poured out easier than she expected. She soon felt herself releasing emotions that she didn't even know were bottled up.  
"What is it, Master Luke? Why do you feel like you have to shut me out? What are you hiding from me? I know there's something more! What are you so afraid of!"

When she finished, it was then that she, herself, began to feel tears prick the corners of her eyes. Luke once again met her gaze as he pulled her into an embrace. He then realized just how much he'd affected the galaxy by disappearing. He'd shut everyone out, and thus, forgotten about how much everyone needed him. Rey, the Resistance, so many more...they all needed him. And he abandoned them when they needed him the most.

"I'm sorry, Rey...but..." But Rey wouldn't let him finish. She was tired of him avoiding the truth. She was tired of the excuses. It was now, or never.

"No." she began. "No more excuses." She then pulled away from his hug. Luke gave her a surprised, but respectful look as she continued.

"I'm sorry, Master Luke, but the Resistance needs you. The galaxy needs you. I appreciate you training me, I truly am grateful. But we can't be here forever. You have to come back. You can't just rot here and let the galaxy suffer. I'm going back to the Resistance base now, and..." She clenched her fists. "...and if you won't come back with me, then...then..."

He hugged her again. "Rey...look at me." His eyes were glistening. Any trace of anger or sadness was gone. "I... _(I can't believe I'm saying this)_...you're...you're right. It's time. Get the _Falcon_ ready...if this is what you really want, then I trust your judgment."

Rey looked at him in shock and hidden excitement. "You mean..."

"I'm coming home." And for the first time in a long time, a small smile almost formed on his lips. Rey screamed in excitement as she ran up to him and squeezed him as hard as she physically could. After she felt the old man wheeze a few times, she dropped him and turned to make her way down the steps of the island, and down to where the _Falcon_ rested. 

Before she was out of sight, Luke was reminded of the dream and what it meant for Rey. But was she ready to know the truth? The truth about... _Them_ yet? He called out to her for a moment.  
"Wait, Rey! There's something more...I..." she stopped for a moment, and turned around to face him, still beaming. 

"What is it, Master Luke?" She still struggled to contain her excitement. 

"It's... _(Perhaps not yet. Perhaps another time, but not now)_...nothing, nevermind. Perhaps it can wait. Carry on, young one." He finished with a fake, but confident smile as the young Jedi-in-training continued on her way to the _Falcon_ below. 

_(She saw the dream. Eventually, she'll have to know. But not now. She's not ready.)_

 

\-- _Meanwhile, at the Resistance Base_

 

It was now morning at the Resistance Base. Finn, Poe, Kyle, Jessika, and Snap stood in General Leia's office. They were only moments from deployment, and were being given a review briefing of the mission that awaited them. The mission was to retrieve information about the First Order's hidden Stronghold. The information of the whereabouts of this mysterious but mighty Stronghold was located on a small First Order outpost on the barren ice planet of "Lox". 

Finn, Kyle, Poe were to travel to the planet, accompanied by a dozen other Resistance troopers. The mission was to infiltrate the small outpost, and find the data-drive. The data-drive would hopefully contain at least some of the information that the Resistance needed to find the Stronghold. After the data-drive was acquired, Finn, Kyle, and the Resistance fighters would escape via Shuttle, while Poe, Jessika, and Snap provided air support on the way out. 

After the briefing was complete, General Leia instructed Poe to get the Resistance troopers ready for the deployment, and then she dismissed everyone else. Finn was still nervous about the mission. He wanted to wait for Rey to come back. He wanted to be there for her when she returned. As he continued walking with these troubled thoughts in his mind, Finn suddenly found himself walking side by side with cadet Kyle. As he looked at the young cadet, all he could think about was his friend Slip. The two young men shared a smile as they boarded the shuttle together.

Poe, Jessika, and Snap soon began their takeoff procedures, and thus, the shuttle pilot prepared as well. As he sat in the shuttle, before the door could close, Finn heard someone shout for him. It was General Leia herself, and she was holding an object as she approached the shuttle.

"Yes, General?" Finn asked, as the other troopers looked at them in bewilderment. General Leia smiled and held out a lightsaber hilt.

"Forgetting something?" She said with a wink. "You never know when you might need it, 'Big Deal'"

Finn chuckled and gratefully accepted the weapon that he'd almost forgotten to take with him. Kyle looked at them both in amazement as Finn once again took his seat in the shuttle. Kyle admired Finn in so many ways. Now his admiration for the ex-stormtrooper only grew when he saw him take the ancient and reverent weapon.

"So..." Kyle asked eagerly as the shuttle began to lift off the ground, "You're a Jedi now?" 

Finn looked at the weapon in his hands. "I...I don't know yet. I guess I haven't decided yet." 

Kyle smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder as the shuttle engine began to rev, "Well, if you ever do become a Jedi, you gotta let me watch you train sometime when we get back. Deal?"

Finn continued to look at the silver hilt in his hands. He thought about everyone who meant something to him. He thought about Poe, General Leia, Kyle. And then he thought about her, and he felt inspired again. He thought about Rey, and something sparked in him. Finn couldn't help but grin at the young cadet. 

"Deal."

 

And with that, the shuttle, along with Poe and his squadron, all blinked into the stars above, and another adventure began...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading today's chapter, hope you enjoyed it. If there are any spelling/punctuation errors, please let me know in the comments below
> 
>  
> 
> **Stay tuned for the next update!**


	4. The Trooper's Bastard Father

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn, Poe, and the Resistance fighters reach The First Order's outpost _Epsilon_ on the ice planet of Lox.
> 
> And something rather peculiar festers underneath the mask of a certain trooper...

Finn was mostly silent during the shuttle ride. The only time he would ever speak was if Kyle was trying to talk to him about his life, or if Poe radioed to him to check on him. He was thankful for both of his friends, and was somewhat thankful to be at their sides in combat. He only wished that they could've spent more time together at the base, and not on a mission where they could possibly die. Either way, his thoughts would always somehow manage to switch back to Rey.

He couldn't stop thinking about being with her, and he wished that the General could've sent someone else in his place to go, but the General had faith in him, and he didn't want to let her - or anybody - down. Still, certain anxieties would occasionally rise, anxieties which he would have to bottle up in front of his new comrades. He kept trying to remind himself that everything would be alright, that the mission would go exactly as planned and that nothing would go wrong, but he knew better. He knew for a fact that things didn't always go as planned...

If things had always gone as planned, then he would've followed his orders back on Jakku, and slaughtered the villagers like he'd been ordered. If things had always gone as planned, he probably would've gotten a promotion, and gained more respect and a sense of identity. If things had always gone as planned, Poe would've probably been executed by Kylo Ren, Rey would've been shot by the stormtroopers on Jakku, and BB-8 would've been taken by the First Order. If things had always gone as planned, then the First Order would've destroyed the Resistance, found Luke Skywalker, and killed him as well...It would've been an easy victory, but things don't always go as planned.

_especially when you're a traitor...a dirty, rotten, scumbag, traitor._

Finn must've started sweating, because he soon heard Kyle's voice snapping him out of his thoughts.  
"Hey, you okay? You look pretty tense." Kyle looked at Finn with such a caring spark in his eyes. "Everything alright?"

Finn quickly brushed his forehead and composed himself in front of the young cadet.  
"Yeah, I'm good. Just uh..." Before he could finish, Poe's voice came over the comms. 

"Dameron here, we'll be entering Lox's atmosphere in a few moments, so everyone get ready for some turbulence. We'll be landing on the outskirts of the base, so they'll know we're coming soon enough. Be ready. Black Squadron'll provide you guys with some cover, but you gotta get in the base fast. Over" 

"Copy that, Poe." Said Snap, "Everyone, prepare for entry!" 

As he said this, the shuttle began to jolt and jerk violently as it entered Lox's harsh atmosphere. The troopers in the shuttle didn't seem to react much, they were prepared and trained for this. Kyle, however, was giving off a slightly different reaction to the rough turbulence, as he struggled to keep a calm face, but overall managed to compose himself well enough that the other fighters didn't seem to notice as much. For Finn, the sudden turbulence only served as a distraction from his troubled thoughts, providing him with something else entirely to worry about.

After the turbulence settled, the shuttle ride was in for a short period of graceful flight before it reached it's destination. The harsh, frost environment put the Resistance team at a slight disadvantage. If they landed too far away from the base to avoid being spotted sooner, then they would have to spend more time trudging through the ice and snow that plagued the planet, which would only impair them more. If they landed closer to the base, then they would be spotted and forced into an engagement sooner. Unfortunately, they were stuck with the second option. If anything, who could say that they hadn't been spotted already...

 

meanwhile--- _First Order Outpost, Epsilon, Lox_

 

A snowtrooper scout rushes to the comm center of the outpost. As he enters the room, he sees other officers at their various computers and stations, performing their usual tasks. The outpost itself is not crowded, but houses enough troopers to provide significant defense for the small outpost. He looks in front of him and sees the head trooper of the outpost, who faces away from him, looking intently at one of the many computer monitors.

The head trooper stands at 6'4", and by looking at how his gear fits him, one can tell that he is slightly muscular. He wears a uniquely designed trooper helmet. The helmet itself is in the standard structure, but trimmed with a special black and white design, with black covering the right side of his helmet, and standard white covering the other. Though he is not particularly a high ranking official, he has clearly accomplished a great feat of valor to be granted such a unique helmet and position, considering all of the other officers and trooper at the outpost answer to him. 

The snowtrooper slowly approaches the head trooper before standing at attention and mustering up the courage to speak to him.  
"S-sir." The head trooper turns his head slightly, revealing the black side of his helmet. The snowtrooper continues, "Probe droids have picked up a band of Resistance ships entering the atmosphere to the north, approximately 30 miles east of our location. They're be here soon."

The head trooper turned fully around to face him before speaking in a dissatisfied tone.  
"How soon, trooper?" The head trooper's voice is that of a man, not of old age, and not too young either, but still intimidating and deep. His voice is crisp. He speaks with the intellect and maturity of a great philosopher, but his tone, if provoked, could easily shift to that of a rebellious and cocky young man.  
"How soon until they arrive? You must be more specific than that."

The snowtrooper shifted uncomfortably.  
"At their current rate, sir...too soon. They'll be here any minute, and I'm afraid we simply haven't enough troopers to protect this outpost for long."

Another officer in the room turned from his monitor and spoke up,  
"Sir, Lord Ren wants a status update."

The head trooper rolled his eyes under his helmet. _of course he wants a status update. now of all times_  
"Inform Ren of the Resistance fighters, and let him know that we can handle them. If anything goes wrong, scrap everything, but keep the data-drive safe. That drive is most likely what they're after."

"Yes, sir. Should I request reinforcements? We may ne-"

"No time. The Resistance will be here at any moment. The reinforcements would never reach us in time. Set up some snipers in the hills, and position the troops on the outside and around every hallway. Get ready for a fight, gentlemen."

"Understood, sir."

 

\---

 

The Resistance shuttle flew through the constant flurries of Lox in search of the outpost. According to their previous data, the outpost was close, close enough that Finn's stomach began to curl at the idea of being launched into another massive firefight. It was made even worse by knowing that the moment was getting closer and closer by the second, and that at any given time, there could be a-

"There it is," Poe's voice came over the radio, "there's the outpost we're looking for. That's outpost _Epsilon_ "

The outpost was indeed smaller than expected. On the outside, only the entrance of the outpost could be seen. It was actually a large cave, dug into a massive, snowy mountain that loomed over it. On the inside of the cave was a hangar-type area, that held weapons and supplies. On the left side of the cave was a wide hallway which led to the second floor, which was built completely inside the mountain walls itself, so it was not visible on the outside, nor did any outside light come inside. If one were to climb to the other side of the mountain, they would access the 2nd entrance, which was a well-hidden, snow-camouflaged steel door, that opened only when someone on the inside allowed it. 

As the ships flew closer to the outpost, Poe's voice once again came over the comm. His gut pinched for a moment when he heard his rotund droid's beeps from his X-Wing.  
"Uh, guys? We might have a problem." 

Jessika almost involuntarily raised an eyebrow.  
"What do you mean, 'problem'" 

"BB-8 says that, according to this planet's readings, we've got 20 minutes before..." Poe felt it difficult to swallow for a moment. "...in 20 minutes, a massive blizzard's gonna hit. If we aren't outta here by then, we're gonna be stranded. Odds are, communications are gonna get knocked out as well."

"Looks like we'll be leaving in 20 minutes then," Jessika said confidently as the ships were in landing range above the outpost.

 

\---

 

The head trooper, being made aware of the Resistance approaching, made his way to the entrance of the cave. He silently looked outward towards the shuttle, and towards the three X-Wings that flew near it. Adrenaline beginning to brew, he prepared for the fight. Snapping his fingers, two snowtroopers equipped with smart rockets ran up behind him.

"Sir?" One of them asked.  
The head trooper nodded his head, and the two snowtroopers immediately moved up, exiting the base along side 10 other troopers who soon followed them, each of them equipped with heavy blasters. He radioed to the snipers that were positioned on the hills to ready themselves, and wait for his signal to fire. 

The head trooper felt in control of the situation for the most part, but something deeper was brewing on the inside. He couldn't quite place his finger on it, but something about seeing the Resistance symbol on the X-Wings and shuttles struck a nerve with him. The symbol reminded him of stories of the Rebellion that his **bastard** father would tell him about. 

The head trooper always remained rather composed and emotionless around those he was in charge of, but for some reason, this was different. Most of the time, he made battle decisions based on logic and strategy, but this wasn't the case. Not this time. If someone wanted mercy from him, then they shouldn't have come to him with that damned symbol on their ships. He saw the symbol of the Rebellion, now flown for the Resistance, and only saw his father... 

Anger boiled in the stoic trooper's veins. He saw the symbol, and with that symbol came the memories of his father. His father, who once ruled amongst the _clouds_ , but now ruled nothing, all because to his idiotic belief of peace through kindness...That was the trigger for the stoic head trooper. 

His fists clenched tightly. All traces of reason and strategy gone, this was personal. As he ordered his troopers to fire the smart rockets, he watched as the X-Wings temporarily broke formation, and he watched with satisfied silence as the Resistance shuttle was hit by one of the rockets, causing just enough damage to send the shuttle crashing to the snowy surface below. He ordered the heavy blaster troopers to move forward to engage, and signaled for the snipers to take aim as the X-Wings above circled around for an airstrike. 

The _Battle of Epsilon_ had begun.

 

Making his way back inside to the comm room, the head trooper glanced back at the battle one last time,

_"I guess this deal's getting worse all the time, huh, old man..."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okayyyyy so for "certain reasons" including new character development and certain relations, I was really excited to write this chapter! 
> 
> Thanks for reading, and as always, more coming soon!


	5. Battle of Epsilon/Sacrifice

The only sound Finn could hear was the ringing in his ears. The crash had killed both the pilot, and copilot of the shuttle. The other Resistance fighters were all jarred by the violent crash, as the enemies outside made their way towards them. He looked around at another Resistance soldier in the shuttle. The soldier was retching blood all over himself as his friend tried to help him up, only for the soldier to die seconds later. The sight brought back the memory of Slip's death, one that Finn had to quickly subdue before it completely took over his mind.

He quickly turned his attention to his own self and undid his buckle, hands fidgeting rapidly. He turned to his left, towards the back exit of the shuttle, and saw the other Resistance fighters scrambling from the wreckage, running to engage the enemy. As he struggled to his feet, he felt someone grab his arm. It was the cadet.

"Finn!" Kyle shouted as he lightly patted Finn's cheek with his palm, "Finn, you alright? We need to move now! C'mon!"

Immediately, Kyle pulled Finn out of the shuttle, and the two took cover along a group of boulders in the snow, alongside the other Resistance fighters. Only seconds later, the shuttle was hit by another smart rocket, sending flaming debris in all directions, and temporarily obscuring vision. Blaster shots were exchanged between the two opposing sides in the snow, as a Resistance fighter unwisely raised his head from cover at the wrong time. The result for the Resistance fighter was a prompt laser blast to the head from one of the snipers on the hills. Finn watched as the near-headless carcass of the fighter fell, limp and lifelessly to the ground next to him.

Kyle stayed near Finn, mostly providing some cover for him whenever the ex-stormtrooper took a shot at one of the heavy troopers ahead. Kyle watched in awe as Finn nailed two of the heavy troopers in the head, and then the gut, killing both of them with only 2 shots each. He then watched as Finn managed to shoot one of the snipers on the hill. His awe didn't last as, another fighter was shot dead near him by another sniper, prompting Kyle to go completely prone, on his stomach, in the snow for better protection.

There were now only 9 Resistance fighters, versus 27 snowtroopers. The small team of Resistance fighters now had more enemies than they had time. They only had 10 minutes before the blizzard would hit. They were running out of both time, and soldiers. They had to act fast, but smart, and, unfortunately for Kyle, he lacked the "logic" part of his plan.

Kyle swiftly stood to his feet next to Finn,  
"C'mon, Finn!"

Finn was shocked, "Kyle, what're you doing?! Stay down!" He yelled as another Resistance fighter was killed.

"No! We're running out of time! We gotta hurry up and get the data-drive bef-"

He didn't finish. A sniper had taken advantage of his impatience, and took a shot at him. Kyle then collapsed in the snow next to Finn. Violent screams emitted from the young cadet as he clutched his shoulder in pain. Finn rushed to his side and pulled him back behind cover near him.

"Damn it! Poe!" Finn radioed, "Poe we need some air support right about now! Take out those snipers on the hill! Can you see'em?"

"Copy that, bud, we've got eyes on them! Alright Jess, Snap, let's show'em what we got!" Ordered Poe as he and his squadron began their attack run.

"Copy that!"

"We're with you, Poe!" T

he X-Wings took aim at the hills. The snipers saw them and tried to fire back, but by then it was too late.

"Alright! Let's light'em up!" The three X-Wings fired at the snipers, and the hills immediately erupted in a white, fiery mist as the snipers were obliterated. The X-Wings then circled around and aimed at the heavy snowtroopers below, and took aim at them as well. This time, Poe fired a single rocket blast at the enemy, killing some more of the heavy troopers. The snowtroopers, now taking fire from above, began to slowly fall back, while still shooting at the Resistance fighters ahead of them.

The Resistance fighters took this opportunity, and began to advance towards the outpost, managing to take out the heavy snowtroopers as well. They now stood a better against the enemy. While the other fighters ran forward, Finn stayed near Kyle and helped him up, carefully guiding the rookie away from the fight. Kyle was annoyed by this treatment, however, and soon contradicted Finn.

"Finn, what're you doing? Fight's happening that-a-way." He said, pointing to the fight behind them.

"You're injured, Kyle. You shouldn't fight. I'll get you somewhere safe, don't worry. I'm not gonna let you get hurt, well, I me-"

"It's a little late for that, bud," he said, gesturing to his burned shoulder. "I'll be fine, Finn. Let me fight. Besides," he lifted his blaster with good arm. "...I'm a lefty, anyways." the cadet winked.

"...well then..." Finn grinned, and moments later, and the two fighters turned around and rejoined the fight.

 

\---First Order Outpost, Epsilon, Comm Room, Lox  
\--- **5 minutes until the blizzard**

 

The explosions outside of the outpost weren't ceasing. The outpost wouldn't last much longer, not with those X-Wings cutting down their soldiers outside. The head trooper stood by one of the many monitors around the comm room. On the console in front of him, a security hologram of the cave entrance sat before him. The hologram showed the Resistance fighters and snow troopers engaging each other in the cave, with his snowtroopers falling faster than the enemy.

Epsilon would soon fall as well. Soon he would be overrun, and the data-drive would be lost. He knew he was running out of time, but there was little more he could do. On another hologram stood General Hux. Hux had given him orders to get the data-drive, evacuate outpost Epsilon, and wait for a pick up team to retrieve him.

"Yes, General, understood." He sighed before the hologram disappeared. He then turned to one of the officers in the room. "Officer Nyles."

"Yes, sir."

"Inform the troopers to fall back and evacuate the outpost. Epsilon has fallen. Scrap everything and grab the data-drive. We're leaving."

"...I see. Right away sir." The officer exited the comm room, and the steel door shut behind him.  
Moments later, the sound of a blaster rifle echoed through the hall, and the door opened.

"Freeze!" Shouted an excited Kyle, and the head trooper turned around. At the entrance of the door stood Finn, Kyle, and two other remaining Resistance soldiers.

The head trooper, puzzled, glanced back at the security hologram, and to his surprise, his snowtroopers had all been killed. Carcasses of both snowtroopers, and Resistance fighters alike were spread out all over the cave entrance. He turned back to face the four, masked Resistance fighters holding him at gunpoint.

He smirked behind his helmet.  
"Not bad. I'm impressed."

"Glad to hear it, now where's the data-drive." said Finn.

The head trooper stared at Finn for a moment.  
"You...traitor..." he muttered under his breath, a strong hint of recognition in his tone. When Finn raised his weapon once again, the head trooper cocked his head toward one of the computer monitors on the left side of the room. There was a small, flat, rectangular object that sat on one of the desks. Kyle ignorantly lowered his weapon and walked over to the desk to retrieve the item, and Finn turned his back to radio to Poe that they had a prisoner.

As they did this, the head trooper took this opportunity, and whipped out two duel blaster pistols, and with a blinding speed, shot and killed the two Resistance fighters. The head trooper then turned and shot Kyle in the leg before he could react, wounding him a second time. Finn turned back around as he did this, but was knocked down by the head trooper as he tried to make his escape down the hall.

As Kyle lay on the floor, clutching his leg, Finn radioed to Poe, now panicked.  
"Poe! It's Finn! We found the head trooper of the base, but he's trying to escape! You gotta stop him now!"

"Copy that, pal!" Poe landed his X-Wing just outside of the cave entrance, and waited for the target to come running to him.

 

**\-- Three minutes until the blizzard**

 

Poe stood with his fists clenched, waiting around the hallway for the head trooper to run by. He radioed to Jessika and Snap,  
"Guys, if I don't stop the head trooper, then you guys have full clearance to blow him to bits yourself. Sound good?"

They both agreed, and that's when Poe heard the rapid footsteps approaching. one | two | THREE!  
On the third count, he tackled the head trooper as he ran by. The fall caused the head trooper to drop his blasters. The two wrestled until Poe straddled his waist, punching him in the gut repeatedly. Poe's overconfidence was his weakness, and less than 10 seconds later, the head trooper managed to kick Poe off of him. As Poe scrambled to his feet, holding his stomach from the kick, the head trooper rushed over to his blaster pistol on the ground.

Just before he could fire, he was tackled by Finn, and the two fought for the blaster pistol. Poe started towards the two to help Finn, but that was when Jessika radioed to him.  
"Uhh...Poe? You guys better hurry..."

Poe looked outside for a moment, and in the distance, peaking over the many mountains, was what looked like a giant wall of white. The blizzard was almost there, and he had to act fast. He looked back at Finn, who was still wrestling with the head trooper.

"Finn, c'mon! We gotta go NOW!" Shouted Poe. Finn managed to subdue the head trooper for a moment, and tossed the data-drive to Poe.

"Poe, go ahead! I've gotta go back for Kyle! I'm not leaving him! We'll meet up with you guys!"

With no time to argue, Poe nodded his head,  
"Alright, just hurry!"

 

\--- **30 seconds until the blizzard**

 

Poe turned to run out of the entrance. As he exited the outpost and made his way towards his X-Wing, he looked at BB-8. As he boarded his X-Wing, BB-8 suddenly began beeping alarmingly, and Poe turned around to look back at the cave entrance. His heart sunk.

The head trooper was on top of Finn, and the two were wrestling for the blaster pistol again. The head trooper had regained himself and tried to shoot Poe, but Finn noticed and stopped him before he could do so. Finn took one more look at Poe before he did what he had to do. His expression was that of _Forgive Me_.

"Poe! Go NOW! Get outta here!" Finn took control of the blaster pistol for a split second, and, with one last gaze at his friend, shot at an explosive canister by the entrance, causing the entire entrance of the cave to collapse. Poe witnessed this as he stood, helplessly watching his friends' demise from inside of his X-Wing. The last glimpse he saw was Finn being strangled by the head trooper.

"FINN! NOOO!!!" he screamed, filled with anguish. "oh no.." he muttered to himself, "oh no no no....no no no...NO!!!!" He reached for the earpiece inside of his helmet, "Finn! Finn, buddy, can you hear me!...Finn?..." No response followed, only static. "FINN!! DAMN IT!!" He cupped his face as tears filled his eyes. Jessika and Snap were silent, not knowing what to say. Soon, the rubble that covered the cave entrance was covered in snow, and almost became invisible in the blanket of white that engulfed the area.  
"...Finn..."

The three pilots were silent...

A few moments later, Jess's soft voice came on the comm.  
"...Poe...c-c'mon...we...we can't stay here. We have to go..."

Poe's lips trembled. He wanted to stay. He couldn't believe that Finn was gone, just like that...but Jessika was right...they had to...  
"Yeah...let's...let's go." Though their mission was successful, it didn't feel like a victory. It felt as if they'd been torn apart by the enemy, and left to die. This wasn't what a victory should've felt like. 

The X-Wings slowly rose above the blizzard, and out of the planet's atmosphere, until it was just outside of Lox's orbit. Once there, communications were better, and General Leia's voice soon came over their comms.  
"Poe? Poe do you copy?"

Poe was silent for a moment before speaking, though he wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone right now.  
"Yes...yes General. I copy."

"We've lost contact with the Resistance shuttle. Was the mission successful? Were your men able to retrieve the data?"

Poe looked down in his lap were the data-drive rested.  
"Yes, General, but..." His felt a lump in his throat.

"Poe? Poe what's wrong? Talk to me, Poe."

"General..." Jessika began. "...the shuttle was destroyed...and our entire ground team was killed in the process..."

Leia's eyes widened in realization,  
"...you mean..."

Poe finally answered.  
"General...we...we lost Finn."

Leia's heart stung at his words. She'd not known Finn for long, no one at the Resistance really had, but she'd already grown a connection with him. A bond...a motherly bond, almost. It felt like the loss was greater than the victory.

"I...I see..." she said, swallowing her tears, "...return to base immediately...we'll see what's on the drive...his sacrifice won't go to waste. I promise you." she said with determination. Moments later, the X-Wings prepared for lightspeed.

General Leia was then startled by a sound coming from outside of the base. Moments later, cheers soon accompanied the sound of a ship flying above. As she made her way outside to see the origin of the sound, her heart pounded. Above them, the Millennium Falcon flew overhead. Soon, she would be reunited with her brother, and R-....

 

"Oh, no..." she said under her breath, cupping her mouth in her hands. "...Rey..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading today's update!
> 
>  
> 
> **more coming soon**


	6. Crimson Tears

Rey's heart pounded as she landed the _Falcon_ at the Resistance Base. Her hands trembled as she deployed the landing gear. She looks over to Chewie, who looks happy to be home. She looks outside the windows, and sees a swarm of Resistance Fighters cheering for them as they land. 

She breathes a sigh of relieve as the engine hums down. She feels Luke give a pat on the shoulder.  
"Hey." She looks up to him. "Good job, Rey." He smiles lovingly, almost like a father. 

"Thank you, master Skywalker." They exit the _Falcon_ and Artoo whirs passed them, and down the ramp, to greet Threepio. Meanwhile, Luke, Rey, and Chewie are all greeted by the mass of Resistance fighters, who are all cheering for them. She looked around the swarm of friendly faces, who all approached Luke. Luke didn't exactly look like he needed to be around a creed of people, but he managed to smile and greet them warmly. 

Rey wasn't suprised that the Resistance Fighters weren't giving her as much attention as they did Luke. Luke was the one who was missing for decades, and the whole galaxy knew about it, whereas no one knew she was stuck on Jakku for 14 years. These thoughts actually didn't bother her. As she looked around the crowd, she noticed who wasn't there.   
_Finn?_

She looked around the many faces of the crowd, pushing past the men and women in uniforms. She spun in circles, desperately looking for his face, HIS face.   
"Finn?" she asked, but was drowned out by the celebration. In this ocean of happiness, she was the only one who wasn't smiling. "Finn? Finn!"  
She reached the outside of the crowd. No sign of him. Her heart began to beat harder.

A few moments later, the crowd quieted, and she notices that the crowd was splitting. Luke and Chewie stood in front of the _Falcon_ towards the end of the divide. Rey looked past the crowd, and to the other side of the line of Resistance fighters. General Leia stood at the end of the divide, tearfully looking at her brother.

Rey watched as they slowly approached each other.  
"Hey, Leia. Sorry it took me so long..." Luke whispered.

A tear ran down Leia's face as she embraced him, holding the only family that she had left in her arms.   
"It's good to see you, Luke." She whispered back. The two simply stood their, wrapped around each other, and Chewbacca soon joined them.

Rey started to walk towards them, but she stopped. She wanted to ask so badly, but she couldn't. It wouldn't be right to interrupt them. They'd missed each other...but she missed Finn. Where was he? Ignoring the cheers and celebration around her, she simply turned, and walked away...

She roamed the Resistance Base walls for a few minutes, walking past many Resistance officials on her way. They'd all wave hello, or greet her, but she'd always reply with a subtle nod and a grin. Nothing more, nothing less. She didn't mean to be disrespectful, but she was focused on something... **someone** far more important to her. 

Her heart ached the more she didn't see him. He had to be here, this is where he should've been. They'd keep him safe, right? They wouldn't let anything bad happen to him...She finally made her way towards the medi-bay that held Finn, rushing threw the door, and past anyone who tried to say hello to her. 

She looked around the room. Her heart shattered as she looked at the empty cot that sat in front of her. Finn wasn't there. Her breathing accelerated as she darted out of the room. "no...no..." She found herself soon running to the other side of the base. She had to find him. He HAD to be there...

She entered the mess hall. It was crowded as always. She scanned the room for a few minutes. Still no sign of him. It's as if he didn't exist. There were no traces of him anywhere. Rey was getting impatient. Enough was enough. She clenched her fists, and made her way to General Leia's office. She stood hesitantly in front of the door. 

On the other side, she heard Luke and Leia conversing about...finding someone named...Kalreeshian? She didn't care. She'd back for an hour looking for Finn, and didn't find him. Something was going on, and she hated the fact that she hadn't gotten an answer yet. She mustered up the courage, and walked straight in.

"--need Lando..." She heard Leia say before he stopped, and turned to face her. "Oh, hello Rey, how can I-" 

"Where's Finn." The words slipped out faster than she'd expected. She knew for fact she was disrespectful, but the fact that she still wasn't hearing anything about him was starting to get on her nerves. Leia looked at her and frowned. Rey struck something within her, and she was beginning to feel Leia's guilt and remorse emanating from the woman. Luke only stood and watched. 

"Rey..." Leia began, sorrow in her voice.

"Please, General..." Rey's voice faltered. "W-Where is he..."

"I..." Leia began, but she couldn't finish. She rested her face in her hands on the desk. Luke gave Rey a grim look, and Rey's eyes began to glimmer with tears.

"No..." she whispered. At this moment, the sounds of ships landing outside echoed throughout the base. She immediately rushes out of the office, and outside.

"Rey wait!" Luke shouts, but she's gone.

She stands among the crowd of Resistance fighters, who look upon the three X-Wings that have landed near them. Her heart pounds as the crowd rushes to greet Poe, Jessika, and Snap. She's waiting to see more ships land. She's waiting to see more Resistance fighters exit the ships. She's waiting to see Finn exiting the ship to hug her....But she doesn't see him.

Jessika and Snap keep the crowd occupied while Poe makes his way past everyone, and towards the exit to find the General. He's in absolutely no mood to talk to anyone, not after what happened on that planet...  
As he finally emerges from the crowd, he's met with a teary-eyed girl. He remembers the girl, they'd met when the map to Skywalker had been reconstructed. He now remembers her. She's the one who defeated Kylo Ren! She's the girl who went to find Skywalker! She's... _Finn_

The two stare at each other in silence. Poe's expression is that of utter loss and grief. Rey's expression is soon matching his, as her painfully hopeful expression analyzes Poe's. She has to accept it now. He's gone. Finn - the only man who came back for her - is gone. Finn, the man who risked everything, is gone. Finn, the man who almost died for her, is gone. That's it. She has to except it. But she can't. 

Poe walks towards her slowly, and she tears up, as her legs begin to tremble.   
"I'm so sorry..." Poe mutters, and Rey finally allows herself to do what she's been trying not to do ever since she didn't find Finn.  
 _She cries_. He wraps himself around her, and almost cries himself, but he manages to stay composed. His shoulder is soon soaked with her tears, as he continues to hold this girl, who'd suffered the greatest loss she could imagine. Ever since she'd left, she'd wanted to go back for Finn. She hated the idea of leaving him, when he came back for her. Why couldn't they send someone else... **anyone else**...But it didn't matter. She has to live with this now. 

_Finn is gone_

 

\---First Order Outpost, Epsilon, Comm Room, Lox  
\--- **Two hours after the blizzard began**

 

Finn woke up in the Comm Room. He jolted to his feet, stumbling at first, dizzy. He was soon greeted by Kyle, who helped keep his balance.  
"Whoa, whoa. Take it easy, bud. You're alright. You're alright. It's me." Kyle reassured him. 

"Kyle?" Finn groaned, grasping his head. "what happened..." 

"Heh, you almost died down there. That was pretty brave what you did, but uh..." he looked around the room. "Now we're stuck here, soooo..."

The memories of what happened began to slowly return. Finn began to shake, and dotted his eyes around the room frantically.  
"Wait, where's the head trooper? What happened?"

"Hey, hey, hey...easy...listen to me. We're alright, I promise. I gave the head trooper a good whack in the face with this." He held up a blaster pistol. "He's out cold downstairs as we speak. When he wakes up, I figured we'll question him a bit, and maybe he can help us get outta here?" 

Finn immediately composed himself, closed his eyes, and reopened them.  
"Yeah...thanks, Kyle. I mean that." He patted Kyle on the shoulder, and Kyle beamed at him. 

"No problem. So, any ideas?"

Finn looked towards the many monitors in the room.  
"Are you good with this type of stuff?" Kyle nodded his head. "See if you can use these comms to maybe get a message out to the Resistance. Maybe you can get a signal."

Kyle walked over to the screens, before turning to look at Finn.  
"It'll be hard to get a signal with this blizzard..."

"Yeah...but it's the only chance we've got right now."  
"Good point. I'll see what I can do. Go ahead and look around, maybe there's some rations laying around somewhere." 

Finn chuckled as he reached the door. "At this point, I'll eat anything." Finn exited the room, and made his way down the hall, and downstairs to the cave hangar...

 

\---First Order Outpost, Epsilon, Comm Room, Lox

 

Kyle had just performed a miracle. Someone, he'd managed to break a small signal through the harsh winds and snow that blew outside. A small projector appeared on the console, and he quickly thought of what to say.  
"Hello? This is junior cadet, Kyle Driphus. We were part of the strike team that attacked Outpost Epsilon, but we're stranded. Two survivors, myself, and Finn. We're not sure how much longer we'll be able to last. Please send-" The projector cut out, but he was happy he was able to send the message....that is, until he heard someone running down the halls, and soon, he was being choked.

 

\--- **5 minutes ago**

 

"Great..." He shivered as he wandered the dark room, nearly tripping over something every few seconds. All he could feel was metal, snow, and corpses everywhere. No sign of anything to eat. He searched desperately in the darkness of the collapsed cave entrance for what seemed like years, but it was for naught. 

He searched one more corner of the room, and he heard something strange. He heard rustling somewhere. Fear etched his face as he slowly reached for the lightsaber at his hip, remembering that he could've used it the entire time to illuminate the room. As he began to turn, he felt a stinging pain on his right temple. As he collided to the snowy ground, he caught a glimpse of the head trooper rushing down the hallway, and to the comm room.

Moments later, the sound of screaming filled the outpost.   
"Kyle!" He shouted as he jumped to his feet, and ran towards the sound. 

"Finn! He-" Finn reached the doorway to the comm room, to see the head trooper, holding Kyle by the neck, with one hand, and lifting him up. Kyle scraped desperately against the head troopers strong grip, but to no avail. His gloves dug firmly into Kyle's neck.

Finn held the saber hilt in his hands,  
"LET HIM GO!" He shouted. The head trooper did nothing at first, and then turned to face him.

"I see you've suddenly started caring about your comrades..." He said, throwing Kyle to the ground. His voice was dauntingly calm, yet angry at the same time, as if he had something personally against Finn. "Well?...what now, traitor? Are you going to simply cut me down like you did with Nines and the others?"

That struck him. How did he know who Nines was? How did he know that HE betrayed the First Order? Most of the other stormtroopers simply wore masks. The only way for someone to know it was him was for...  
"Do I...know you..." Finn asked hesitantly

He reached up towards his black and white helmet. He clicked the releases, and removed it. The face underneath shocked Finn.   
The black side of the helmet was the same side as the trooper's scarred face, while the white side of the helmet was the side without scars.  
He recognized him...most of him. He had the same scar that ran from his cheek to his eyebrow, and his face was the same, cold, lifeless, and troubled.

"You really don't remember me..." The head trooper looked him dead in the eyes. "Do you, '87..."

Finn stared in horror at the man in front of him. He recognized the scar, but everything else was...disturbing. The right side of his face - the black side of the helmet - was burnt, damaged, and disfigured, as if he'd been in a fire. It was oddly wrinkled in a way, that made it seem aged, and his white eye was completely white. He wanted to deny, but he knew who it was, and it filled him with a sense of dread. 

His designation was FN-2000, but to Finn, he was someone else...  
"Zeroes?..."

He smiled,  
"Yes. It's me. Mostly."

"What...what happened to you?" He said, examining his face, which now turned into anger and disgust.

"What happened?...You...happened...StarKiller...happened... Sorry if I look a little different than before, but that's what happens when you rescue Phasma from a trash compactor as a planet's core is collapsing." he pointed to the burnt side of his face. "THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED TO ME"

Finn took a step back.  
"..I.."

"What's the matter, '87? Lost for words? I expected more from the best cadet in our squadron..."

"I...I made a choice..."

"Wrong. You made the wrong choice...and now...you're gonna suffer for it." Zeroes pulled out a Z6-Riot Control Baton, and activated it.

"Zeroes. Please...don't. I'm not gonna fight you."

"Well, look at you. I think hanging around that scavenger's softened you up..." Finn glared at him. "Maybe this'll fix that." He turned to Kyle, and slammed the baton into Kyle's chest, sending bolts of electricity surging through his body. The poor cadet screamed in pain.

"STOP!" 

Zeroes grinned.   
"Make me"

Finn activated his lightsaber, emitting an **orange** glow, and charged towards Zeroes. Rage and anguish flooding his veins as he slashed desperately at the trooper. Zeroes laughed as he blocked every shot, and the two weapons collided.   
"Man, 87', you were a good shot, but I'm not sure melees were your best, if you ask me." he said as he parried Finn's attack. "Piece of advise, stick to blasters." He swung again, barely missing him.

"Shut up!" Finn shouted, swinging again, and slashing the consoles around them. The duel lasted for 5 whole minutes as the two troopers faced each other. Light flashed in the abandoned outpost, orange and white, as the two weapons constantly clashed and clashed again. 

"One thing you were never good at..." Zeroes strained as they locked weapons again. "Was keeping your comrades alive." 

Finn was enraged as he heard this, but then turned his head to look at Kyle, who lied on the ground, still.  
"No..." Finn's heart sunk. "NO!!!!" He released the lock, and swiped left and right with his saber. Hatred guiding him, he soon found himself slowly gaining the upper hand against Zeroes, as he continued to back him up. He violently sliced around them, each collision knocking the trooper backwards a few steps, and then attacking again.

Zeroes managed to counter one of Finn's wings, and struck him in the gut. Finn staggered backwards for a moment, and regained his ground. Now, he was pissed. Finn had had enough. It was time to end the fight. With a few more violent swings, he struck the baton, causing Zeroes to stumble backwards, and struck again, knocking the weapon out of his hands. 

Zeroes tried to regain himself, but Finn slashed his lightsaber against his skin, grazing his left cheek, and engraving another jagged scar across his face.  
Zeroes screamed in pain, dropping to his knees, and panting desperately. He looked up, seeing Finn stand over him, rage in his eyes.  
"Well...see, pal? You aren't that different after all...well, except for the dead friends part, that one hasn't changed a bit..." The last thing he saw before passing out was Finn's lightsaber...

Finn wanted to end him. He could, with one final swing. Zeroes was unconscious, and completely defenseless in front of him. He raised his lightsaber at Zeroes, and prepared to strike him down, but he stopped when he heard coughing. "F...F-Finn?..." It was Kyle, barely grasping onto life as he knew it.

Finn deactivated his lightsaber and rushed over to him, forgetting about Zeroes almost instantly. He knelt down beside him, and lifted his head up.   
"Kyle...Kyle look at me, bud. It's me...I'm here..."

Kyle forced a weak smile as his eyes barely stayed open.  
"H-Hey, Finn..." **cough** "..good to...good to see you, friend..."

Finn teared up as he looked down at him.  
"G-Good to see you to...look at me...look at me, Kyle..."

"D-Did the...did the message send?...Is the Resistance coming?..."

Finn forced a tearful smile.  
"Yes, Kyle...it sent...the Resistance is coming for us...both of us...we're both gonna get outta here, and we're gonna talk some more, alright? We're gonna go to the mess hall, and get some oatmeal together...just you and me, buddy...and we're gonna just talk, okay? We're gonna tell stories, and...and-" his voice faltered. 

"Finn...it's alright...t-..t"

"Kyle...don't leave me..." He begged.

"Promise me something, Finn..."

"Anything."

"Become a Jedi...please. We need you..."

"I...I promise...I promise you. I'm gonna become a Jedi, and you can watch me train. You can watch me train with my lightsaber, and every night after training I'll meet with you, and we're talk, alright? Kyle..." Tears fell from Finn's face as he held Kyle's fading soul..

"Finn..." 

"Yeah? What is it, buddy. Talk to me..."

"You...you said you never got to tell Slip goodbye?" He said as his eyes begin to flutter.

"No...no I didn't..."

"Say it to me, Finn..."

"Kyle?"

"Please...I need you...to say it..."

There is silence for a moment, and Finn looks him dead in the eyes.  
"Goodbye, Slip..."

Kyle smiles as he closes his eyes.  
"Thank you...Finn..."

 

And with that, junior cadet, Kylo Driphus died in Finn's arms...

And Finn was alone.


	7. Come Back For Me

That night, she sat alone. Endless tears streamed down her face as she sat in the lush forest of D'Qar. She couldn't bring herself to accept Finn's death, quite frankly, she didn't want to accept it. As much as she hated it, there was nothing she could do to change it, so she sat there, leaning against a tree, staring up at the stars.

She thought of the last thing she said to him.  
_We'll see each other again. I believe that_

And now, those words meant nothing. Thinking about the words made her heart sink even more. She clutched her knees, crying. In the darkness of the night, she whispered,  
"I'm so sorry, Finn..."

"It's not your fault, Rey." She jumped up to see Luke standing next to the tree. 

"M-master Luke!" She said, quickly wiping the tears from her face as she tried to compose herself, "What're you doing here?"

He smiled and approached her.  
"The better question is 'what are you doing here?'"

"It's Finn...I just." she sniffed , "He's gone...just...gone."

He took a seat by the tree.  
"I understand what it's like to lose someone you care about. I remember you told me about him. I see now, how important he really was to you. But-"

"Important?" She interrupted. "Important? He was the only one who ever cared about me. He's the only one who ever tried to protect me! To save me...to...to come back for me..." Luke shifted uncomfortably. "He came back for me...even my own family couldn't do that." She looked at Luke. "So yes, master...he was important to me." 

"I...I see."

There was a painful silence between them, and only the wind and leaves could be heard between them. That is, before she spoke up,  
"Why..."

"What?"

"Why did my family leave me..." She sunk back down to the tree next to Luke. "What did I do to make them hate me?"

Luke sighed  
"Rey...you did nothing wrong. It wasn't your fault."

"Well I must've done SOMETHING to deserve this...your family wouldn't desert you for no reason..."

"Trust me, Rey, it's...it's not your fault."

Rey looked at him suspiciously  
"How...how would you know that? You just met me a few weeks ago."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It was time for her to know something very important.  
"Um, Rey...do you remember anything from the dream? The woman?"

"Yes, there was a woman, and a man. She was pregnant...they both looked like Jedi. They looked happy. And I remember the woman-"

"Was your mother." 

Rey froze. Her heart felt like it'd stopped for a moment when Luke spoke. Everything fell silent as they sat next to each other at the tree. She began to shake.  
Luke tried to calm her down.  
"Stay calm."

"W-What did you just say?" she shuddered.

"The woman. The pregnant woman from the dream? It was-"

"my mother...no, that's..."

"Rey.." he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Trust me. I know this is difficult to hear. Believe me," he chuckled, "my father was Darth Vader, so I understand."

"The woman in the dream was my mother..." she felt herself getting dizzy, "then...then what happened to her?"

"She...the woman...your mother. Her name was Mara Jade, and...and she died in childbirth. The man was there when it happened."

She looked at him with tears in her eyes.  
"How do you..."

"Because, Rey." he took her hand. "I was the man"

She snatched her hand out of his.  
"What!"

"Rey, please."

She stood up, looking down on the man, anger and betrayal was etched on her face.  
"How could you do this! You left me on that horrid planet! How could you leave me down there to rot! How co-"

"Rey please-"

"Why would you do this to me!"

"To protect you!" he shouted. The young woman above him was silent, her face, like stone. The silence between them lasted a few seconds, and he slowly stood up to face her. She suddenly took a step back from him. "Rey, please...I'm sorry I had to leave you...but I did it to protect you." 

She crossed her arms as her lip quivered.  
"From what."

"...Ben" he sighed. "Or I suppose KYLO REN, is what he's called now. Back when I was training the next generation, I'd left to find the old Jedi Temple, but I'd left him in charge. While I was gone...He and his...followers attacked my school...and all of my students were killed. Han told you, right?"

"Yeah...he told me."

"Well...you were there when it happened. I found you, hiding out in the ruins of it all. You were so terrified...crying...and I wasn't there to protect you when it happened. I couldn't forgive myself for what happened. So I..." he swallowed. "I had to leave you..."

This was all so much to take in. She felt like collapsing. She wasn't sure how to feel, happy or sad, or perhaps both.  
"..You're...you're my father..." 

"Yes, Rey. The lightsaber called to you for a reason, and there was a reason I didn't want you to leave on Ach-To. There was a reason I came with you. I wouldn't lose you again."

She slowly approached him and, though shaking, she wrapped her arms around him. He hugged back, squeezing his arms around her as tight as he could. He never wanted to let go. Both of them had tears streaming down their cheeks. Both of them were in disbelief. The tighter she held him, the more, it made her want to hold Finn and tell him, but she couldn't.  
_Father..._

Suddenly, the two broke apart as they heard grass and leaves underneath someone's feet. Someone was running towards them.  
"Rey! Master Luke!" It was Poe, he was sweating and heaving. His eyes were wide and full of excitement and shock. "The comm center...a message...we gotta...you gotta see this..."

"Wait wait wait, slow down. What's going on, Poe? Use your words."

He finally caught his breath and pointed back towards the base.  
"It's...ugh just c'mon!" He turned around and ran back towards the base. Rey and Luke looked at each other, both bewildered and confused, but they followed him back.

 

\-- **Resistance Base, Comm Room, D'Qar**

 

She stood breathless. Around her, the room was filled with Resistance officials, soldiers, and doctors alike. It was completely silent as a blue hologram emerged from the center of the room, and everyone watched in all. On the fuzzy hologram stood a young man, in what seemed to be a cadet uniform.  
He sounded distressed,  
"Hello? This is jun- cadet Kyle D- ***static***. We were part of the strike team that attacked- **static** Epsilon ***static*** stranded. Two survivors." Rey's eyes widened. " ***static*** -and Finn." her heart flipped in her chest when he said that. "We're not sure how much longer ***cut*** " 

Rey's mind swam as she struggled to comprehend everything that'd happened that day. In one day, Master Luke had returned, and Finn had died...In that same day, Master Luke was her father, and Finn was alive. Finally, the return of two people she cared about.

As the hologram cut, Rey, and everyone in the room looked right at General Leia, who stood just as shocked as everyone else. The silence was unbearable. Leia did her best to keep herself composed in front of her comrades. She tried to remain as calm as possible, but honestly, she was just as excited as everyone else was. Finn was alive, or for the moment, anyway. In order to keep it that way...

She saw Rey and Poe standing next to each other

"Commander Dameron....and Rey." She spoke up in her firmest tone.

"Yes, General!" Poe replied immediately, but Rey simply stood, surprised. Everyone's eyes suddenly shifted onto the man and woman who stood in front of the General. 

She slowly walked up to them. Once she stood face to face with them, she placed her hands on their shoulders.  
"May the Force be with you." Poe and Rey stood awestruck as everyone clapped. "Good luck."

 

\-- **Resistance Base, Landing Pad, D'Qar**

 

10 minutes later, Rey stood in front of the _Falcon_ with Chewie and Luke. Chewie gave Luke a big hug before taking his seat in the copilot's seat. Meanwhile, Rey simply stood in front of the ramp for a moment with her father. None of them knew what to say to each other, so Luke leaned in and hugged her.  
"I'm proud of you, Rey." 

"Thank you...father." she said, nuzzling into his hug. After a moment, they finally let go, and Rey made her may up the ramp.

"Rey!" he yelled to her, and she turned to face him. "May the Force be with you."

She smiled, and made her way up the ramp.

She sat in the pilot's seat of the _Falcon_ , still nervous about everything. First, she sat in the seat to find her father, and now, it was time to find her-  
"Rey." Poe's voice came over the comm. "You ready to do this?"

She looked over to Chewie, who let out a triumphant roar. She couldn't stop the grin that quickly formed on her face as she began take off.  
"Let's bring him home..."

"Affirmative. Jumping to lightspeed in three...two...one!" 

 

\-- **First Order Outpost, Epsilon, Comm Room, Lox**

 

_I'm sorry, Finn...I-_

 

Finn was suddenly jarred awake by the sound of explosive charges detonating downstairs. What followed was the sound of rocks rumbling. Finn'd barely gotten any sleep in the semi-lit room. Sparks from the trashed comms were the only source of light. Next to him, laid the corpse of Kyle. Grief and loneliness weren't foreign feelings to him, in fact, it was a feeling he was all too familiar with. That was when it dawned on him. Zeroes wasn't in the room.

Giving Kyle one last goodbye, he quickly jumped to his feet, grabbed his lightsaber, and ran out the room. He darted downstairs to the cave entrance, and his eyes widened. He was shocked. The entrance was unblocked, and cold air rushed in as Zeroes was nowhere to be found.

"We'll see each other again, Zeroes. Count on it." he whispered to himself, clenching his fists.  
The sound of wind filled his ear drums as Finn, lacking any other option, rushed out into the snow. 

It wasn't the best plan, but it was his only option. The icy winds buffered his face as he trudged through the endless white void. Each step was heavier than the last. He was hungry, tired, and weak, but he had to keep going. He had to keep pushing if he ever wanted to make it out of there. 

He looked to his left, and saw snow. He looked to his right, and saw snow. Nothing was changing, and he'd been walking for what seemed like an eternity. Still, something felt as if it was guiding him. Somehow, he felt as if he was going in the right direction, so he pushed forward, each step getting closer to something. His hands were getting numb, and his ears ached from the subzero temperatures of Lox. 

His vision began to blur, but he shook it off. His breathing was coarse, but he kept moving. So many of his comrades had already died on this planet. He couldn't join them, as much as he wanted to be with them. 

His chest began to ache from the electric burn he'd received from Zeroes' Z6 Riot Control Baton the previous night, but he kept pushing. His head ached from the cold, and from the punch Zeroes had given him the night before, but he kept pushing. His heart ached from Zeroes killing Kyle, but he kept pushing. He felt tears in his eyes from not killing Zeroes, but he kept pushing. 

What bothered him the most was that Zeroes didn't kill him while he slept. Instead, Zeroes used charges to escape, and in turn, allow Finn to escape as well. Zeroes' could've killed him while he slept, but instead killed Kyle, who was completely unarmed...Peculiar. Instead, he decides to allow both of them to escape, and presumably meet again. One thing was certain. Finn would be ready.

He couldn't stop thinking about his friends, both dead and alive. He wanted to see them again, at least one more time before he died, and now it seemed that he couldn't, ever. Finally, his legs gave in, and he dropped to his knees in the frigid snow. Just as the misery continued to sink in, he heard another sound. It was a ship landing...

He couldn't see well past the heavy flurries around him, but his heart pounded as he slowly rose to his feet. The sound of a ship was his motivation to keep moving. If there was any **hope** that he could escape, he would take it, regardless of how much pain he was in, both physically, and emotionally. 

As he got closer to the sound, he suddenly heard the sounds of an X-Wing flying above him. He only wished he could see past the flurries, but still, he continued. 

That was when it happened. He saw lights peaking out through the white blue. He took a few steps forward, and the flurries dissipated, revealing a familiar ship.  
His eyes widened, because in front of him, sat the _Millennium Falcon_. Above him, soared _Black One_ , the ship that belonged to none other than, Poe Dameron himself. 

His eyes began to blur again, and he lost focus until he heard a soft voice speak through the frost.  
"F-F-Finn?" He blinked to reduce the blur, and he saw the silhouette of a young woman standing at the base of the ramp. She was beautiful. Her eyes were hazel, and she wore a vest, with a staff laced around her back. In her pocket, is a lightsaber, and a small blaster pistol. Her hair was in three buns, with a strand of hair that curled off the side. He looked into her eyes as she slowly approached him.

He was in complete disbelief. He didn't move a muscle, in fear that he would suddenly be awoken from a dream. She was standing face to face from him. Tears glimmered in her eyes as she reached up to touch his cold face.  
"Finn..." 

He took her hand in his.  
"R-Rey?..." he whispered. Suddenly, the two found themselves embraced. In the same day, Rey had found her father, and now, snow flurried around them as she hugged this boy, who she'd just met, who she already adored. 

"Yeah.." she whispered with a giggle, "It's me..."

"Thanks for coming back..."

"I guess that's what we do for each other..." she nuzzled her face in his neck, and held even tighter.

Above, Poe circled his X-Wing over them, a wide grin on his face as he radioed to the Resistance.  
"Command, this is Poe Dameron. We got him."

 

\-- **Elsewhere, Lox**

  

Zeroes wandered in the endless white desert. He'd been counting every second since he'd began. Two hours, 15 minutes, 38 seconds was his time. He wasn't tired, nor was he thinking about resting. The only thing he thought about was getting off the planet, and regrouping with the Order about what to do next. 

As he continued to walk, he finally saw a First Order shuttle land near him. Moments later, the ramp lowered, and two black armored figures walked out from it. Kylo Ren, and another member of the Knights of Ren followed him. He approached the two. 

"Kylo, Zanya." 

"Lieutenant Zeroes." Kylo Ren began. "We received your distress signal, and followed your tracker here. Are there no other survivors?" 

"Unfortunately, sir, I'm the only one left." 

"And the data-drive?"

"They...they took it." 

"I see. How unfortunate...I must say, I'm disappointed, Lieutenant. I expected better from you." He slowly turned around, and began to make his way towards the shuttle, when. 

"Wait!" Zeroes shouted, and the two figures looked at him. "There's something more." He slowly reached up and removed his helmet, revealing his nearly sliced and burnt cheek. "This." 

The other Knight removed her helmet, revealing the face underneath. It was a woman with blonde hair, green eyes, and purple lips. Her face was surprisingly soft for a Knight of Ren. She slowly reached up and cupped his face in her hand. "Zeroes..." he voice was soft, but disturbed. "Who did this to you..." 

"I'm alright, Zanya..." he reassured, but he looked back at Kylo Ren, who had walked back up to them. 

"Zanya Ren, alert the medical team to prepare a bacta-tank." said Kylo 

"Yes sir." she replied, and ran back to the shuttle, glancing back at Zeroes on her way there. 

Kylo Ren walked up to Zeroes, face to face.  
"Who did this to you, Lieutenant..." 

Zeroes glared back at him before speaking.  
"The traitor, Lord Ren." Kylo took a sudden step back. "He's alive." 


	8. Welcome Home

_Classified Planet, First Order Stronghold, Snoke's Throne Room_

 

Kylo Ren, General Hux, and Captain Phasma all met with Supreme Leader Snoke in his throne room. The room had a tall ceiling, from which crystals were built into the ceiling, illuminating the room with their shimmering light. Besides the crystals, the only other source of light came from the doorway that led out of the room. Behind them, was a single bridge-like pathway made from a rare type of black granite. One could easily tell just by entering the great room, that Snoke had a liking to darkness... Kylo can feel it. He knows how Snoke feels. The great room reeks of the Dark Side, and he loves it. The simple essence itself seems to preserve him and keep him alive. 

And only a handful of First Order members knew the truth about the crystals that brought light to the dark dwelling place of the Supreme Leader. The crystals were not just ordinary crystals found in the architecture of the base's structure. Energy emitted from them that only Force Users could feel. These crystals were now considered rare, and scattered endlessly across the vast galaxy. The crystals were banned ever since the creation of the First Galactic Empire, and most were said to be destroyed for good. Now, there were said to only be a handful in existence, but they knew the truth. 

The very crystals that illuminated Snoke's room of Darkness were the very crystals that were used by the great Jedi and Sith of the olden days. Those very crystals were used to power lightsabers across the galaxy. They were the very crystals that were filled with the Force.  
The ceiling of Snoke's throne room was laced with Kyber crystals. He'd been feeding off of their energy for years, growing ever stronger off of their power. The crystals shown their brilliant crimson light that gave a pure atmosphere of the dark side to his throne room. 

However, it didn't take the crystals' energy to display the tension in the room. But now, out of the three ranking officials standing before him, General Hux was the one who was in the worst position. Though they had all failed Snoke to some extent, Hux had done the worst. As if Snoke could sense his concern, his eyes focused on the red headed man in the middle of the trio.  
"General..." he uttered in his gravely voice, "You told me that the outpost was hidden. You told me that no one would find it. You told me that the outpost would not fall..."

Kylo could now feel the anger radiating off of Snoke's very being. His patience is running low. "Tell me, General. How did the Resistance managed to find your so-called hidden outpost?"

The brief silence overtook the room. Snoke felt Hux's inner fear, despite how well he hid it himself. As a general, Hux was well respected by those around him. He was known for his strict authority and his powerful demeanor. The last thing he would ever do was let his fear show. Hux managed to center himself and answer the Supreme Leader.

"Supreme Leader, it is my belief that the Resistance must have tracked Outpost Epsilon via one of the larger transport ships that landed near the system. We're not sure how FN-2000 managed to survive the attack, but the base itself was destroyed before the reinforcements could make it."

"...and the data-drive...Where is it..." Snoke asked, his dark eyes peering directly into Hux's soul. 

"It was...it was lost." Hux balled his fists, preparing for the worst, but it never came. There was only silence once more. Only the sound of his own breathing could be heard as the trio stood before the great being. The few seconds of silence felt like decades as they wanted for an answer from the supreme leader of the First Order. He sat before them, and not a word escaped from his pale lips. He only stared past them, as if he was thinking to himself, or perhaps pondering his next move.

One thing was for certain, it was time to strike closer to the Resistance, but not directly at it. They needed to make more collateral damage, possibly make some threats. Get the Resistance to weaken from the outside, and then make their way inside to finish them off. Snoke had developed a bit of a strategy to do so, and it required the First Order to leave a mark on some of the more...unsuspecting planets. 

Luckily for them, they had a certain trooper who was fairly familiar with a certain one of those planets...

"I see." Snoke muttered, drifting his eyes to the chrome suited trooper standing next to Hux, "Captain, oversee FN-2000's recovery, and then prepare him for his...private assignment."

Phasma stood up straight, "Understood," before promptly turning and exiting the room. 

Hux's eyes followed her as she left, for even he himself was not entirely sure of Snoke's plan. As Phasma's figure finally escaped his gaze, he turned back to face Snoke, who was now ready to make preparations for his plan of action. They'd wasted enough time with Hux's feeble outpost.

"General. Rally your troopers, and begin intensive training on them. Find out which squadrons perform the best, and have them prepared when I need them. Is that understood?"

Not one to argue with Snoke, and having failed him for the last time, Hux had no other choice but to slightly bow his head, and mutter, "Yes, Supreme Leader," before turning on his heels to exit the room himself.

Finally, only Snoke, and Kylo Ren were in the throne room. Kylo Ren, one of Snoke's greatest students, now stood before him, and though Kylo hid his scar behind his mask, Snoke, as well as himself knew that the scar would always be there to remind him of his failure on Starkiller base. However, he also knew that it was a reminder of his strength, and how he would not fail Supreme Leader ever again. 

Snoke ordered Kylo to remove his helmet to speak to him, and he immediately did so.

"Supreme Leader." Kylo began, a sense of weariness in his voice, a sense of regret at himself. "Trooper FN-2000, when we had recovered him, had suffered extreme facial damage, as well as internal injuries."

"I am aware of this." Snoke replied. "The First Order has suffered many losses, young knight."

"There's more...he said that..." Kylo took a deep breath behind his helmet before continuing. "The traitor...Trooper FN-2187...he said that he saw him during the attack. He's the one who gave him the scar. He told us all about it on the way back to the base, Supreme Leader. The scar was cauterized as well. He was armed with...with a lightsaber. Another one. I shouldn't have denied it, but...but he was the other awakening I felt on the village. I fear that he may've been in tune with the Force and not have realized it. He's...FN-2187 is alive, Supreme Leader."

"You...failed to kill him as well, then..." Snoke growled, and Kylo took a half-step back.

"Y-Yes, Supreme Leader. But I will not fail you again." 

"Your thoughts betray you, young knight. Do not spout promises that even you yourself are unsure of." Snoke responded. "By now, Skywalker has returned and is in terms with the enemy, along with the scavenger. If this...traitor begins to train himself with them...then the threat will only increase for us."

"I know...we may be dealing with another Jedi."

"Another one to destroy. Who have you found so far."

"Only Zanya Ren. She chose to accompany FN-2000 during his recovery."

"You'll need more."

"What?"

"Young knight, the First Order has suffered enough losses. First Starkiller, and now Hux's pathetic outpost is gone. Now the data-drive is in the hands of our enemy. More star systems are now forming up against us. Soon, there will be even more uprisings against the First Order, and more planets will pledge their allegiance to the Resistance. Even with the fall of the Republic, it would appear that the galaxy still insists on chaos." 

Snoke fixed his gaze onto Kylo, examining his thoughts once more before continuing.

"They are lost, Kylo Ren. They are foolish, and naive, like children who are drawn to folly. They need to be reminded of the order of things. They must be reminded of the one true strength in this galaxy. They need to be reminded of the power of the First Order. They must be shown the true power of the Dark Side. Only then, will they learn to obey. Do what must be done, young knight."

"I will not fail you. What is your bidding."

"Go. Take Zanya Ren with you. Travel to the far most reaches of the galaxy. Where ever you are guided. Find them. Assemble them...it is time."

"Yes, Supreme Leader."

"Summon the Knights of Ren...."

 

\--- _Resistance Base, D'Qar, Medical Bay_

 

Luke and Leia had told her not to worry when they'd arrived, but she couldn't help it. She sat just outside the doors to where Finn was being held.  
"Not again." she thought to herself as she nervously fumbled her hands in her lap. Once again, history was repeating itself as she anxiously waited for the return of someone she cared about. She'd lost him, found him, and lost him again.  
_no, he's not gone. he's not gone. he's not gone. not this time. they're just running some tests on him and getting him stable. he's okay. he's here. I'm with him this time._

He'd lost consciousness on the way back from Lox. She'd been scared ever since he'd gone unresponsive once more, but his system was weakened by the time they'd found him. By the time the _Falcon_ landed on the snowy planet, he hadn't eaten for a long time, and he was exhausted and injured. It was only a matter of time until he'd shut down to recover. And now, once again, he was in the medical bay, returned from a harsh encounter on a snowy planet, injured. She hated it. 

What bothered her more was the eerie presence she'd felt when he'd gone under. She remembers resting his head on her lap, and placing a palm on his forehead, and since that moment, she'd felt something churning within him. She couldn't tell just what it was, but it was definitely worth telling Master Lu-...dad about later. 

But still, whatever had caused the sensation she felt wasn't good. Something was troubling him deep down, and she didn't know what it was. She tried to peak inside his head while he was out, but all she felt was...pain. And heat. How long had this been going on? She couldn't have been gone THAT long. She couldn't even describe the feeling to herself. All she did was place her hand on his forehead, and she saw a quick flash of red, as if a fire had sparked. The next thing she heard was her own voice, but it was as if it was echoing in HIS mind, not hers. She didn't want to do that again...not for a while. 

Should she ask him about it when he wakes up? Maybe not. He'll need time to readjust. Both of them would. They'd both been through a lot of...stress, over a strange period of time. _I'm sure Finn will tell me about it if whatever this is gets worse. He'd tell me anything. He trusts me. Right?_

She tried to convince herself, but she wasn't so sure.  
One thing was for certain, whatever it was, she would let her father know when the time came, but first, she had something else important to worry about.  
Someone else.

And just on cue, she heard the door hiss, and Dr Kalonia stepped through, telling her the news she'd been waiting to hear for the past few hours. She took a deep breath, and wiped the sweat off of her brow, before slowing entering the room...

 

\--- _meanwhile_

 

_Fire engulfed the Resistance Base as only the cries of those he loved were heard. Ash obscured his vision until he saw Rey standing in front of him, holding her arm, which showed signs of damage. She was holding a lightsaber, a blue one, which was ignited in her other hand. Her hair was down around her shoulders, and she struggled to stand. Tears glistened in her eyes as she gazed at him from beyond the embers. He heard her soft voice echo. But only then, he heard a deep, inhuman voice bellow in his head. He looks down in his hand to see the orange lightsaber shining elegantly, and his eyes drift to Rey's once more. He takes a step forward, and a tear slides down her cheek. "Please...I'm so sorry Finn...no matter what, I-"_

_\--and every time, he wakes up._

His eyes open to bright white lights, blinding his vision as he shields his face. His heart is pounding, and he's perspiring like crazy. He can't see, but his arms are soon instinctively fighting whatever forces are holding him down.  
"Whoa, whoa easy." He hears an older woman's voice say as he's gently laid back down onto the bed. "He's awake, let the others know." And soon, he hears footsteps walking to the door. He keeps his eyes closed, his mind still trying to process what exactly's happening, and where exactly he is. Where ever he is, he's somewhat comfortable, and there's cool air surrounding him, bringing him a sense of comfort. Something's wrong though, but he can't quite place his finger on it. 

As he lays on the bed with his arm draped over his eyes, he hears a door hiss open, and footsteps approaching. He still hasn't removed his arm from over his aching eyes. It then dawns on him that he's back at the Resistance Base, but then another thought enters his head.  
Did he ever leave?  
Had the last few days been all in his head?  
Did General Leia really give him a lightsaber?  
Did he really help takeout a First Order outpost?  
Did he really fight Zeroes?  
Did he really...lose Kyle?  
Was Rey...

Before he could even realize it, he felt a soft hand gently grasp his arm, and lift it off of his face. He still doesn't open his eyes, in fear of a reality that he doesn't want to accept.  
And then everything changes when he hears her voice.  
"Finn?"

His eyes snapped open to the bright lights once more, but he squinted and his eyes soon adjusted to his surroundings. Nothing but a plain white ceiling greeted him at first, and then he tilted his head to the left, and saw her. Her hair was in three buns, the lightsaber was placed securely on her hilt, but she wasn't wearing a vest this time. Not that it bothered him. Her face was etched with nothing but pure concern for her friend. Her worrisome look was highlighted by the freckles on her cheeks, and the beautiful hazel eyes that stared back into his brown ones. It still hadn't settled with him yet. He still couldn't believe it.  
It was her.  
Rey.  
Rey...  
Rey!  
She was there!  
She was with him!  
He really did get a lightsaber!  
He really did fight Zeroes!  
He really did take down a First Order outpost!

But as he mentally celebrates his achievements, he is yet met with one harsh reality. He really did lose the cadet. He really did lose Kyle. He really did let Zeroes escape. He really did have the Force, which meant that he had an even greater sense of responsibility. And then he remembered the promise he made to that cadet. The promise to help the galaxy. The promise to help the Jedi.  
The promise to become one...

"Finn?" Her voice cut into his thoughts. "Are you okay?"

He then realized that he was staring straight into her eyes this entire time, and a goofy smile soon formed on his face. One that even he couldn't hide, despite his best efforts. 

"I take it that's a yes." she giggled, the look of concern fading away. Her worrisome look was now replaced with her smile, and oh how he missed her smile. He missed everything about her.

"Y-Yeah...Yeah! Yeah I'm good. I'm good." He said in a proud tone, puffing his chest from the bed. "You?"

She raised an eyebrow in confusion, as though he hadn't understood the fact that HE was the one lying in the medical bay, and not her.  
"Oh, right, I'm the one in the medical bay, haha, I know you're probably fine and all, but I just-"

"Thanks for asking." She said, unaffected by his awkwardness. "I'm good. Even better now that I know you're alright." 

He felt heat rising to his cheeks as she smiled once more, helping him stand, the two never letting go of each other's hand. Where do they take it from here? There's been so much that's happened, that it's hard to explain it all. There's so much they could say to each other, but nothing escapes from their lips.  
They stared into each other's eyes, and simultaneously blurted out,

"...oh man, have I got a lot to tell you..." before abruptly stopping, and blushing at each other. 

"You first."

and the feeling was mutual...

 

_Classified Location, First Order Stronghold_

 

Captain Phasma made her way down the hallways of the First Order Stronghold on the planet P **********. Her rifle was firmly gripped in her hands as she prepared to check on one of her best troopers. Her boots made a sharp clacking sound down the metal floor, and trooper after trooper moved aside and saluted her as she passed by. The dim lighting shine off of her chrome helmet, highlighting her suit in an elegant fashion as she reached the correct doorway. She knew it was correct because Zanya Ren had just been seen exiting from said doorway.

She hadn't herself seen FN-2000 since he had been sent to oversee Epsilon, but she had been worried over his condition. He'd declined the bacta tank, and chose to not get his scars removed, only choosing to train himself harder, and push himself to the brink of his own limitations. Whatever he'd endured must've been truly damaging considering that he had apparently encountered the traitor himself in Epsilon.  
One of the last of the FN-Corp, what with troopers FN-2199, and FN-2003 KIA, as well as the many others who were killed since FN-2187's betrayal, FN-2000 truly showed signs of endurance and stability despite his various situations. Zeroes was a valued stormtrooper in her eyes, considering he'd rescued her from Starkiller after the damned traitor helped the Resistance destroy it. Very few other troopers would do such a thing, let alone be willing to sustain injuries for it. But enough was enough. She'd lost enough troopers due to the traitor. It was time to see if he was ready, and by the time the door'd hissed open, she already knew he was.

The sight brought a sense of satisfaction to the chrome-clad Captain of the First Order. She stepped into the musty room to see FN-2000, shirtless with his back facing her. Only his trooper gloves and slacks were on, and he was sweating drastically and breathing heavily as he prepped his body for whenever he needed it.  
His hands gripped tightly on the bars as he lifted his 178 pound body up and down on the exercise equipment. His veins could be seen pulsing underneath the skin of his bicep as his finished another rep.  
His blood pounded as he 'd just concluded his daily routine of 100 pull ups, push ups, and sit ups. As he stretched his arms back and forth to release the tension, Phasma could see every last firm muscle moving from underneath his skin.  
It was a wonderful sight for her to behold. 

"FN-2000." She uttered, and he turned around immediately to face her. He stood firmly at attention, sweat still dripping from his pores, but Phasma was no longer focused on his muscles. But rather, his face...

"Captain! Sorry," he muttered, "I-I didn't hear you come in. "

She didn't care. His face was horrid. It was damaged, truly damaged. The scar that was already running down from his eyes to his cheek, was now nothing in comparison to the damage that had been dealt to the other side of his face. The skin had been almost sliced through completely. A permanent half smile was literally burned into his skin, leaning a nasty cauterized wound on his face. Still, he'd chosen not to remove it. Same as he had chosen not to tend to his older scar. He wanted to keep them, apparently, as hideous as they were. Same as Lord Ren's. As reminders of their past failures, and highlighters of their new goals which were to not repeat those same failures again. 

She'd refocused herself on the task at hand, and why she'd been sent to him in the first place.  
"Now's not the time for apologies, trooper. Leader Snoke has an assignment specifically for you."

He raised an eyebrow at her.  
"An assignment?"

"Correct, and you are to discuss this with no one. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Captain."

"Good. Leader Snoke is sending you somewhere very important for this mission."

He was prepared to travel anywhere. He was ready to go any length for the First Order. Anything to serve his captain, and to please the supreme leader. Anywhere to kill the traitor. He was ready to travel to one side of the galaxy and back. He was ready to fly to the most dangerous and mysterious planets in the entire galaxy. Whatever the challenge, he would accept. He asked the most important question for the situation.

"Where?"

"Home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for your patience! I've been working a ton ever since I finished all of my studies, and barely had any time to update. Luckily, I plan to hopefully have the next chapter up in a more reasonable amount of time. Thank you again for your patience, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
> 
> Please leave a comment down below, as any feedback is appreciated and it really helps motivate me to keep writing!
> 
> :)


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